Overview of Human Rights in Suriname

The Republic of Suriname is a constitutional democracy and recent elections have been considered generally free and fair by international standards. Despite its history of violence during rule by a military dictatorship in the 1980s, today the human rights situation in Suriname is better than average in comparison with the other countries of the world.  That said, some problems persist. The level of corruption in the executive branch is increasing. Government efforts to limit the freedom of press have led many journalists to practice self-censorship.  Police and security forces mistreat and abuse detainees and prisoners. A huge backlog in the judiciary has led to overcrowded detention centers and lengthy pretrial detention. Trafficking in children and child labor are also issues. Societal discrimination against minorities and indigenous people also takes place.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

89th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.